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10 of the Best: Coffee Table Books

Every space requires detail. Detail, detail and more detail. It is what separates a good space from a great space. Book selection is often overlooked when finishing and styling a room but it should be as important as selecting cushions, artwork and decorative accessories.

A simple or minimalist space requires even more attention to detail than a maximalist space which is often cluttered with colour, pattern and an abundance of objects. A minimalist space doesn't have the luxury of oversaturation, which is why detail, even down to book selection is so important. With over 130 million books published in all of modern history, there is a lot to choose from, which is why it is not only about content. But about style too.

As interior designers, interior lovers and homeowners we understand that a book should be judged, to some degree, by its cover. Like a record sleeve, a book cover is a crucial element to the reading experience. It's the first thing you see, and a great cover can draw you in and persuade you to start that journey of discovery, page by page. Colour, typeface, images and layout combine to give us an impression of what a book is about. And we decide if we like it – in 10 seconds.

We have selected 10 of the best for you to enjoy: some are iconic; some are clever; some are beautiful; some are classics. All are utterly inspiring for both content and graphic composition. We can't wait to see what you do with them in your own home.

1. Vincent Van Duysen: Complete Works by Ilse Crawford

2. Balenciaga (Memoirs) by Marie-Andrée Jouve

3. Parallel Lines Cross at Infinity by Carsten Nicolai

4. Concrete by Leonard Koren

5. Tom Ford by Tom Ford

6. Dior Couture by Patrick Demarchelier

7. Inferno: Alexander McQueen by Kent Baker

8. Liaigre: Twelve Projects by Christian Liaigre

9. Alvar Aalto: Second Nature by Mateo Kries

10. The Kinfolk Home by Nathan Williams

In a space, it is not only important for the selected books to be interesting and graphically pleasing. They also need to be relevant to their context. For example - why would you keep a fashion book such as 'Inferno: Alexander McQueen' in a kitchen? When it is much better placed in a living or bedroom space. Therefore, we thought that we best include our 3 favourite cookbooks to keep in pride of place in your kitchen, written by world-renowned chefs including Ramael Scully, Corey Lee and Russell Norman.

We must mention that Polpo is one of our favourite cook books of all time, both for content and style. It has the total package: Refined design, delicious recipes, beautiful photography and interesting background information. The cookbook is divided into nine sections: Introduction, Cichèti (small snacks), Breads, Fish, Meat, Vegetables, Desserts, Drinks and Gazetteer. Another great thing about the POLPO cookbook is the spineless binding, it’s not only very beautiful but it also allows the book lie flat on the kitchen surface. For those of you who are interested, the book is designed by David Tanguy of Praline Design Studio.

A little extra... here's 3 of our favourite cookbooks.

NOPI: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi

Benu by Corey Lee

POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (Of Sorts) by Russell Norman

Image: POLPO: A Venetian Cookbook (Of Sorts) by Russell Norman

Do you have any favourite coffee table or cook books we haven't mentioned? Let us know in the comments below and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @studiogabrielleuk.